First ever iPhone repair!

My Problem

I was actually fixing the iPhone of a friend of mine. The silver part of the mute switch of his phone had broken off, and he had to use a sharpened pencil to mute and unmute the phone.

My Fix

Surprisingly well! I was a little intimidated by the "difficult"-label this guide has on iFixit (esp. as this was my very first phone-DIY-experience), but things went very smoothly. Didn't take too long either (45 minutes or so).

My Advice

Three things:

1. the iFixit-guide mentions using a #00 screwdriver, but I found a #000 to be handier.

2. I found it to be unnecessary to take the volume button circuitry and headphone jack assembly completely out of the phone as steps 21-23 suggest: as soon as the volume button circuitry is loose, you can lift it just enough to take out the old mute switch and replace it with the new one.

3. Replacing the motherboard in exactly the right position is without question the trickiest part of this entire (dis)assembly!

Resources

Repairability

Stay in the loop

It's time to speak out for your right to repair

We have a chance to guarantee our right to repair electronic
equipment—like smartphones, computers, and even farm equipment. This is a once-in-a-generation
chance to protect local repair jobs—the corner mom-and-pop repair shops that
keep getting squeezed out by manufacturers.

Join the cause and tell your state representative to support Right to Repair. Tell them you believe repair should be fair, affordable, and accessible. Stand up for your right to repair!